'Don’t Make It Political, CM Ignored Sacred Duty': Kiren Rijiju Responds To Mamata Govt’s Anti-Rape Bill

The political back-and-forth over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar hospital stayed on track as Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju responded to the anti-rape Bill unanimously passed in the West Bengal legislative assembly on Tuesday (September 3).

Rijiju alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee — by introducing the ‘Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill 2024’ — has turned the woman doctor’s death into a “political issue” having “failed to act” to prevent the crime in the first place.

According to him, in 2018, Parliament passed a “stringent law to deal with heinous crimes like rape” through which it sought to establish fast-track special courts (FTSC) to speed up trial and disposal of pending rape and POCSO Act cases. He alleged that the Trinamool Congress government, despite several communications in 2019, 2020 and 2021, failed to consent to this centrally sponsored scheme under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018.

“This is an extremely serious matter. Please don’t make it political issue. Very strong laws are necessary but strong actions are more important. When the letter was written, media had carried this news extensively, but West Bengal Govt failed to act!” he said in a post on social media, along with the letter.

The undated letter from Rijiju addressing Banerjee states that as per Supreme Court directions, “one exclusive POCSO (ePOCSO) court was required to be set up in districts wherever pendency of POCSO related cases was more than 100”. It said 123 fast-track courts, including 20 ePOCSO courts, were earmarked for West Bengal. Hence, to this effect, communications were sent on December 12, 2019, March 16, 2020, July 16, 2020, February 19, 2021, seeking the state government’s intervention.

“I feel sad that Chief Minister of West Bengal ignored her most sacred duty of providing quick Justice for women & children. This letter of 2021 clearly shows it. In 2018, a stringent law was passed by – Parliament to deal with heinous crimes like Rape.. State Govts must act!” he wrote in another post on X.

During her speech in the assembly, however, Banerjee countered the BJP’s allegations on the state government failing to use Nirbhaya funds. She said the state is ranked third when it comes to the number of fast-track courts in India.

“Earlier, the Centre gave funds to set up fast-track courts. We have 88 such courts, of which 52 are for women. We have 3.92 lakh cases running while 3.11 lakh cases are disposed of,” she claimed.

‘Only solution…resign and make way for able administrator’

Rijiju’s remarks come after a tension-filled assembly session during which the leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari heavily criticised the state government’s attempt to “eyewash” and divert attention from the unrest caused by the RG Kar rape-murder case. Also demanding Banerjee’s resignation, the BJP nevertheless gave its full support to the Bill. But, its proposed amendments to the legislation — moved by Adhikari — were not accepted.

Later in a post on social media, he alleged that the Mamata Banerjee-led government, instead of providing safer workplaces for women, was trying to curtail their night-time working hours through one of the provisions of the legislation.

He said Banerjee must resign as the home minister of the state for “admitting on the floor of the West Bengal legislative assembly that working women are not safe during night in West Bengal”.

“Previously your chief advisor Alapan Bandyopadhyay announced it from Nabanna. Today you gave your assent by confessing that you are going to curtail the night time working hours of ladies, as because your government has failed to provide a secured working environment for working women during night,” he said on X.

He added: “Now the question is what would happen to the women patients admitted in hospitals during night? Who will attend to them? What about their safety and dignity? The only solution to this problem is that you must resign and make way for an able administrator.”

His comments came after the chief minister, in a post on X, hailed the Aparajita Bill as “historic” and one that addresses “pertinent issues caused by gaps in the existing criminal laws”.

“A society that cannot ensure the safety of its women can never be ideal. Today, GoWB passed the historic Aparajita anti-rape Bill to address pertinent issues caused by gaps in the existing criminal laws. Let us all unite together and address this menace collectively!”

Earlier on the floor of the House, she said she was “emotionally moved” as law minister Moloy Ghatak tabled the legislation. Calling it “historic and model”, she said she is happy that it was placed on September 3 as the UN also came up with the women discrimination committee on this day in 1981.

“This is a model and historic Bill, I support this. This assembly and others who are outside, am thanking all. This is a Bill to protect women and as I say this I am emotionally moved. September 3 is a historic day. The United Nations came up with the women discrimination committee on this day and I am happy that we have placed it today. It will take time. My condolences for the family,” she said during her speech.

What is the Aparajita anti-rape Bill?

The West Bengal assembly unanimously passed the state anti-rape Bill after the opposition gave its full support to it. It seeks capital punishment for persons convicted of rape if their actions result in the victim’s death or leave her in a vegetative state. Additionally, it stipulates a life sentence without parole for those convicted of rape.

The legislation also aims to strengthen protection for women and children by revising and introducing new provisions related to rape and sexual offences. A two-day special session of the assembly was summoned on September 2 to table, discuss and pass the Bill.